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Repeated Flooding in Seoul is Neglect, Not Disaster, Analyst Argues
🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Repeated Flooding in Seoul is Neglect, Not Disaster, Analyst Argues

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Sources not specified Context piece
  • A significant number of buildings in Seoul and other regions have experienced repeated flooding, with 179 buildings in Seoul flooding twice or more between 2022 and the present.
  • The repeated inundations are attributed to various factors, including inadequate river capacity, poor drainage, and blocked waterways, with little action taken after the initial floods.
  • The article criticizes the lack of effective follow-up measures and accountability, suggesting that repeated flooding is a result of neglect rather than unavoidable natural disaster.

Waking to cold, muddy water surging into homes is a terrifying experience that leaves lasting trauma, far beyond any government-assessed damage. For many, this is not a once-in-a-lifetime event. In Seoul, a review of flood records revealed 179 buildings that were submerged during the heavy rains of 2022 and then flooded again afterward. Most of these repeat offenders, 81 in total, are concentrated in the Mullae-dong area of Yeongdeungpo District, with Eunpyeong and Dobong districts also seeing significant numbers.

The second flooding is not a disaster, but neglect.

— Jo Geon-heeThe author uses this phrase in the headline and article to frame the issue of repeated flooding.

This stands in stark contrast to Gangnam District, which experienced 490 floodings in 2022 but saw no repeat incidents. In Jeonnam Gwangju, 244 locations flooded in July last year, only to be submerged again in August before repairs were complete. The causes vary: Mullae-dong suffers from the narrow and shallow Dorimcheon stream overflowing, while Eunpyeong and Dobong face issues with rainwater accumulating in narrow residential areas from nearby mountains. In Gwangju's Buk-gu district, a flood wall reportedly trapped water.

Despite these recurring disasters, no single agency has tracked how many times the same buildings flooded. This statistical gap was only revealed when the Dong-A Ilbo team meticulously cross-referenced four years of flood data. Meanwhile, solutions for repeat flood zones have been superficial. In Nowon District, a multi-family home that has flooded three times in four years now has a temporary water barrier, yet the adjacent drainage ditch remains clogged with leaves and cigarette butts. A deli owner in Eunpyeong, whose shop flooded twice in two years, lamented that local authorities never visited. Residents in Gwangju express disbelief in promised solutions.

The most dangerous place has become the safest place.

— Unknown residentDescribing the experience of their home flooding.

When a building floods multiple times, it signifies a failure to learn from the initial event. The process of identifying causes, implementing solutions, and verifying their effectiveness is broken. In Shinan-dong, the city installed a culvert under a flood wall after denying a causal link, and the area has since remained dry – a solution implemented belatedly and without official acknowledgment. With the monsoon season passed, now is the critical time to address the root causes of flooding and prevent future tragedies. Complacency risks repeating the trauma for new victims next summer. While the sky delivers the same rain, it is human neglect that allows the same homes to flood twice.

I don't believe the solutions.

— Unknown residentExpressing skepticism about government measures in Shinan-dong.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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